A4 RIHLA #4

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In class we are learning about Hinduism, Budism, and Judaism. This article specifically relates to Hinduism, because the conflict that is being talked about in the article occured in india; which is where Hinduism originates.It also expands on the Caste System. The Caste System is a heiarchy for the citizens in India. The last level of the heiarchy is the "untouchables" they are the poorest of the poor and not treated as if they are humans anymore, they are outcasts.

After reading the article, I saw that people responded the Caste system differently. Some untouchables lived in fear on a daily basis, the fear of being publicly humiliated, so they chose not to speak out. Yet, other felt differently and sent out complaints to the police but they were simply overlooked. The police did nothing to solve the untouchables problems because they were, in fact, part of the higher end of the caste. Instead of being associated with them they approved vicious attacks against them.

The treatment of the untouchables relates to the civil rights movement. Blacks were discriminated against because of the color of their skin, and the untouchables for their social status. They also had similar consequences such as homes being raided, women being raped, lynchings, and other forms of segregation.

The interesting thing about this article is that women were hit the hardest. "Thousands of pre-teen Dalit girls are forced into prostitution under cover of a religious practice known as devadasis" (Mayell 3). I'm guessing because men were always the ones to be favored in this time period, that even though if men were untouchable, they were still worth more than the untouchable women.

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